Celebrated painter Robert Fry on the importance of fashion and art

Robert Fry is a British art star. He has hosted solo exhibitions in
Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Moscow and – of course – his hometown
London, and he has frequented coveted listings of up-and-coming
painters throughout his career.

For spring and summer 2017, H&M is releasing a new menswear
range made of the finest qualities imaginable – from cashmere and lux
cotton to super soft suede and wool. The collection is designed for
modern men, and Robert Fry is the perfect fit for clothes that don’t
compromise with anything and are all about perfect essentials – in
perfect materials.

"Following fashion is not important. Fashion itself is important
because it enables the individual to cultivate their own identity. It
allows people to identify who they feel they are by associating their
appearance with a certain look," the London-based artist tells
H&M Magazine.

Robert Fry’s work is known for its large scale – not seldom
life-sized – mixed media paintings and etchings that often have
autobiographical roots.

Robert Fry is known for his large-scale mixed media paintings and etchings. Left: Partners Study 2, 2015. Mixed media on canvas. Right: Partners Stud 7, 2015. Oil on canvas. Both images: Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Kornfeld, Berlin.

WHY IS ART IMPORTANT? "Art is important because it
can transcend boundaries, limits and language; it is important as a
facility for social change and impact ".

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? "I find the actual process
of painting inspiring. In my practice there’s always one painting in a
series which feels like a breakthrough, which can be a starting point
for a new body of work. "

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A PAINTING IS FINISHED? "I believe
an artist will often do their best work when they are not trying, when
they are at their most uninhibited, which therefore has nothing to do
with a process. I do have certain devices that could be considered
part of a ‘creative process.’”

“When I'm at the studio, I will often listen to the same piece of
music on repeat for hours. I have quite a divergent mind and I find
the repetition enables me to channel my concentration. I always paint
alone. I find isolation is important for my practice. It's hard to
describe how I know when a painting is finished, it's more of an
instinctual decision".

Painter Robert Fry fronts the campaign for H&M’s new premium menswear collection EDITION.

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